Tor Fretheim (1946-2018)

Translator's Note: This is a machine-assisted translation completed on June 2, 2025. While care has been taken to maintain accuracy, this translation has not yet undergone human review or validation.

Author and former journalist.

In the interview, Fretheim speaks about growing up in Oslo, where he has lived his entire life. As a young man, he met a woman whom he later married; together they had children before eventually divorcing. He later met Knut, who would become his husband, and the two had been together since 1976.

For many years, he worked as a journalist, including for Aftenposten, before becoming a full-time author. His final book with a queer theme was Leon's Secret (2016). For his literary work, Fretheim received several awards, including the Aschehoug Prize, the Gyldendal Endowment, and the Sarpsborg Prize.

In an excerpt from the interview, he recounts the moment he visited the family doctor and, for the first time in his life, told another person that he was gay. It did not go quite as he had hoped.

The full interview is available in our reading room. Queer Archive met Tor Fretheim at his home in Oslo in October 2018. Fretheim passed away in December of the same year.